


Something About You, Merlin

by happybluemo



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 1x10, Arthur's POV, Episode Tag, M/M, Magic Revealed, Pre-Slash, The Moment of Truth, all characters are only mentioned except arthur, arthur is perceptive, arthur talks to kilgarrah, arthur's internal monologue basically, i guess, it was a dark time, merlin 1x10, not in the fic but in general, the last fics i wrote were all doctor who fics, this is my first fic in five years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 18:39:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11629539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happybluemo/pseuds/happybluemo
Summary: Arthur figures out what it is about Merlin that he can't quite put his finger on, and how Merlin fits into his destiny.





	Something About You, Merlin

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't beta read, and it's the first fanfic I've written in over five years. The last time I wrote fanfic, it was all Doctor Who fic. Some of it was Doctor Who/Half-Life/Portal crossover crack fic. It was a dark time. Anyway, this is the first Merlin fic I've ever written, so please be kind.

     “There’s something about you, Merlin… I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

     They were the first sincere words Arthur spoke to him. As Arthur later came to learn, the something about Merlin was that he was the other side of Arthur’s coin. It seemed a preposterous idea at first, although the more Arthur thought about it, and the more time that passed with his loyal manservant, the more it actually made sense. Not that Arthur was particularly keen on believing anything that came out of the mouth of a dragon his father had imprisoned- sorcerers and magical beings could not be trusted, after all- but something inside him told him to listen anyway.

     What didn’t make sense to Arthur was this: how was Merlin so important in Arthur’s life? What made Merlin part of Arthur’s destiny of becoming a fair and just king of Camelot? Sure, Merlin was Arthur’s closest friend and confidant, but he was still just a servant. Arthur supposed Merlin made him a better person; certainly, Arthur had grown more empathetic and perceptive since Merlin stopped him bullying his servant that day in the training yard. But it seemed fairly insignificant, and surely not enough to grant Merlin a lifelong position at Arthur’s side with an entwined destiny. Arthur pored over the mystery for months.

     When Merlin left Arthur to return to and protect Ealdor, there was a brief time in which Arthur thought that he would never see his friend again and that the dragon had lied to Arthur about his destiny. The realization hit him like a brick that, obviously, he was meant to follow Merlin to Ealdor and help to defend it. It was there that Arthur learned why Merlin was so integral to Arthur’s journey to become king.

     Merlin had magic. Arthur didn’t want to believe it, but he had seen him, arm outstretched, elements at his command. He was furious and, hoping for any answer different than what he now knew, demanded to know whether it had been Will or Merlin. He already knew the answer. After Will had been shot, and lay dying on a table, he claimed responsibility. Arthur was taken aback by that- why would Will take the blame for what Merlin had done? As Merlin leaned over his friend with tears in his eyes and their hands grasped tight, the answer occurred to Arthur; love. The two loved each other and, with Will on his deathbed, he was willing to trash his reputation in the eyes of the Prince so that Merlin might escape his wrath, might continue to live an honorable life at the side of the future king.

     Arthur left Merlin and Will to part in peace and became wrapped up in his thoughts. He didn’t know that Will wasn’t a sorcerer, all he knew was that Merlin was and that he loved Will as much as Will loved him. That meant only that sorcerers might be capable of love, a concept that had been branded an impossibility in Arthur’s mind by his hateful father. It was now that Arthur began to question Uther’s judgement on the matter.

     But more than anything… Merlin had magic. Why hadn’t he used it to kill Arthur yet? Or Uther, for that matter? On the contrary, Merlin had saved Arthur’s life- it was how he’d become his manservant in the first place. It occurred to Arthur then, maybe that wasn’t the only time Merlin had done that. Maybe that was the place Merlin held within Arthur’s destiny; his guardian angel. He’d already saved Arthur’s life once more by drinking from the poisoned chalice- perhaps the guiding light in the Caves…

     Then how many times had Merlin saved Arthur’s life without his knowledge? And what on earth would have motivated him to do so? If Uther knew the truth about Merlin, he’d be dead quicker than you could say fair trial. Why would Merlin defend his persecutor’s son? Arthur realized it was the same reason Will took the fall for Merlin’s magic; love.

     But it couldn’t be, could it? Why would Merlin love him? That couldn’t be it. But it was the only explanation, and it gave Arthur hope that maybe, just maybe, his own buried feelings were requited.  
Either way, Arthur decided he’d be talking to Merlin about several things on their way back to Camelot.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm always open to and appreciative of any criticism/comments!


End file.
